07/11/2011

Political Gridlock and a Centrist Third Party

The columnist and author Tom Friedman and I have many similar opinions about the American political system. In a recent OpEd column in the New York Times titled “100 Days,”

Friedman noted- “maybe it’s just my friends, but I find more and more people completely disgusted by [the current situation in Washington] and looking for a serious Third Party candidate who could run in 2012 and deliver the shock therapy to the corrupt, encrusted two party duopoly now running the show in American.”

Friedman is right on the money, and I mean on the money. His suggestions coincide with the arguments in my new book, Resurrecting Democracy. While Friedman issues the call to arms, we also need a strategy. Resurrecting Democracy describes how to form this new party, expand its membership and heighten its power in order to advance the nation’s interests. It also specifies the obstacles that would have to be overcome to bring its vision to fruition.

Friedman’s article recounts the crisis that currently exists in Washington. Our most pressing problems include unemployment, the budget deficits and rising national debt. But the Republicans and Democrats have been unable to craft viable solutions. The government’s borrowing power must be increased in order to fund the debt before America defaults in early August. Yet the two parties are unwilling to compromise to get it done. Hopefully, a last minute effort will be successful.

Officeholders attempt to keep their bases happy by making promises that are impossible to fulfill. And they refuse to ask their constituents to undergo any pain or sacrifice even though the nation’s economic path is unsustainable. Friedman asserts that Congress today devotes its energy to fund-raising virtually full time, while legislating sporadically. The president is able to get things done mainly during first 100 days of his term. Afterwards, he focuses on campaigning instead of addressing contentious issues that are of critical importance to the country.

According to Friedman, America needs to spend, cut, tax and invest all at once in order to stop the nation’s decline. However, the Republicans and Democrats can not come together to pass the necessary legislation. This is because of their ideological constraints that won’t permit a pragmatic approach to problems.

In order to break the political logjam that now exists, Friedman believes a third party is required, as do I. To bring about significant change in Washington, this party would not even have to win in 2012. Its platform could force the Republicans and Democrats to alter their own platforms and agendas. Otherwise, they would face the possibility of more and more voters defecting from them in subsequent elections.

The Republicans only want to cut spending and will not consider any measures that raise revenues. The Democrats want to minimize spending cuts and address the deficit with increased taxes on the wealthy and corporations. However, both of these strategies are needed to bring the deficits and national debt under control. At the same time, it is also important to confront unemployment and lagging economic growth. This could be accomplished with a short term stimulus package which might tackle the nation’s crumbling infrastructure and bring us up to a competitive level with Europe and Japan. And this stimulus could also fund improvement in America’s educational system to allow our young people to compete in today’s global economy.

A third party of the center would reject ideological fixes for the nation’s problems. It would not see compromise as a dirty word and would use common sense to devise answers to the crises at hand. The party could quickly gain popular support by the use of the Internet and social media. Money could be raised as well in this fashion. This would free party members from pressure by the lobbyists and special interests when generating legislation. The new party would be able to rapidly mount a challenge to the two established parties and their entrenched practices and ideologies. It would drive them to move from the right or the left towards the center, and to act in ways that benefit America instead of their own parochial interests. While a third party will have to contend with powerful opponents working to make it still born, it is these same adversaries who are responsible for the political paralysis in Washington. Many American voters realize this and with the available new technology, the votes and dollars will be there to support a pragmatic centrist answer. In fact, my new book, Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party, provides a recipe for how to get this new party off the ground and make it a player in Washington. The political stew envisioned will be tasty for America’s citizens, but may be too hot for partisan Republicans and Democrats.

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The columnist and author Tom Friedman and I have many similar opinions about the American political system. In a recent OpEd column in the New York Times titled вЂњ100 Days,вЂќ Friedman noted- вЂњmaybe itвЂ™s just my friends, but I find more and more people completely disgusted by [the current situation in Washington] and looking for a serious Third Party candidate who could run in 2012 and deliver the shock therapy to the corrupt, encrusted two party duopoly now running the show in American.вЂќ Friedman is right on the money, and I mean on the money. His suggestions coincide with the...

The columnist and author Tom Friedman and I have many similar opinions about the American political system. In a recent OpEd column in the New York Times titled вЂњ100 Days,вЂќ Friedman noted- вЂњmaybe itвЂ™s just my friends, but I find more and more people completely disgusted by [the current situation in Washington] and looking for a serious Third Party candidate who could run in 2012 and deliver the shock therapy to the corrupt, encrusted two party duopoly now running the show in American.вЂќ Friedman is right on the money, and I mean on the money. His suggestions coincide with the...

The columnist and author Tom Friedman and I have many similar opinions about the American political system. In a recent OpEd column in the New York Times titled вЂњ100 Days,вЂќ Friedman noted- вЂњmaybe itвЂ™s just my friends, but I find more and more people completely disgusted by [the current situation in Washington] and looking for a serious Third Party candidate who could run in 2012 and deliver the shock therapy to the corrupt, encrusted two party duopoly now running the show in American.вЂќ Friedman is right on the money, and I mean on the money. His suggestions coincide with the...

The columnist and author Tom Friedman and I have many similar opinions about the American political system. In a recent OpEd column in the New York Times titled вЂњ100 Days,вЂќ Friedman noted- вЂњmaybe itвЂ™s just my friends, but I find more and more people completely disgusted by [the current situation in Washington] and looking for a serious Third Party candidate who could run in 2012 and deliver the shock therapy to the corrupt, encrusted two party duopoly now running the show in American.вЂќ Friedman is right on the money, and I mean on the money. His suggestions coincide with the...

The columnist and author Tom Friedman and I have many similar opinions about the American political system. In a recent OpEd column in the New York Times titled вЂњ100 Days,вЂќ Friedman noted- вЂњmaybe itвЂ™s just my friends, but I find more and more people completely disgusted by [the current situation in Washington] and looking for a serious Third Party candidate who could run in 2012 and deliver the shock therapy to the corrupt, encrusted two party duopoly now running the show in American.вЂќ Friedman is right on the money, and I mean on the money. His suggestions coincide with the...

The columnist and author Tom Friedman and I have many similar opinions about the American political system. In a recent OpEd column in the New York Times titled вЂњ100 Days,вЂќ Friedman noted- вЂњmaybe itвЂ™s just my friends, but I find more and more people completely disgusted by [the current situation in Washington] and looking for a serious Third Party candidate who could run in 2012 and deliver the shock therapy to the corrupt, encrusted two party duopoly now running the show in American.вЂќ Friedman is right on the money, and I mean on the money. His suggestions coincide with the...